It’s 2012 and time to start thinking about the Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer, and begin the process of coming up with potential nominees. This award is open to input from all members of the general public, including retailers, so if you would like your shop of choice to be considered for the award, please send an email to retailers@joeshusterawards.com.
In October there was the ‘Best of Saskatoon’ (not Saskatchewan, so Regina wasn’t included) readers poll in Planet S magazine/webzine. The winner?
BEST COMIC BOOK STORE: AMAZING STORIES
Holy competition, Batman! This category saw an extremely close race, with Amazing Stories narrowly — and I mean by one single blue-black, helmeted hair — kapow-ing its way to top spot. Hardly sidekicks are 8th Street Books & Comics and Unreal City.
By my reading, that’s as close to a three-way tie as you can get, with Amazing Stories beating 8th Street and Unreal City by one vote. Three great shops that service the community in various ways.
In the same Planet S poll, Amazing Stories employee Donny Sparrow took home BEST ARTIST (TRADITIONAL MEDIA) and BEST ARTIST (NEW MEDIA). Congrats to Amazing Stories for getting their customers to vote enmasse.
Unreal City hosted Riley Rossmo and Elaine Will for a signing and art jam event in August.
In September Unreal City hosted an event ‘The Art of “Binky the Space Cat” by Ashley Spires’, in which the original art was on display for the month.
Amazing Stories hosted Ethan Van Sciver for their 18th Anniversary event.
8th Street Books & Comics took part in a Saskatchewan fundraiser called ‘Drop Zone’ to raise money for Easter Seals. The 8th Street Comics team raised $3,753 for this charity. Congratulations!
Tally: shops in Saskatchewan
Stores at start of 2011 – 8
Opened in 2011 – 0
Closed in 2011 – 0 (though 2 were removed from the listing due to lack of comic related material)
No news in Manitoba, other than the fact that Wizard purchased the rights to the Central Canada Comic Con, and then promptly cancelled and abandoned the convention. Yet the convention rolled on, under the stewardship of Michael Paille, who owns Raven Toys Comics & Games in Winnipeg. The event went on with minimal hiccups, and is scheduled to occur again November 2nd – 4th, 2012.
Tally: shops in Manitoba
Stores at start of 2011 – 11
Opened in 2011 – 0
Closed in 2011 – 0
No news from the Territories. Still 1 comic book shop in Whitehorse and 1 games/hobby store in Yellowknife.
Tally: shops in Territories
Stores at start of 2011 – 2
Opened in 2011 – 0
Closed in 2011 – 0
THE JOE SHUSTER AWARDS 